Jonathan Edwards (pictured), chair of the Athletes' Committee, which has worked on the plans to accommodate up to 16,000 athletes during the Olympics and more than 6,000 during the Paralympics, said the basic facilities matched or bettered anything previously seen at a Games.

"The British Olympic Association (BOA) have usually fitted out extra facilities for British athletes at recent Games, which is something a lot of the big NOCs (National Olympic Committees) tend to do for their athletes," Edwards told insidethegames.

"But in terms of facilities for every NOC competing, the basic level here is right up there.

"It is the highest level of spec for basic apartments."

The former Olympic triple jump champion, who has been working in association with London 2012 for the last two years, assisted by his deputy chair Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, said the key to the operation was attention to the smallest detail.

"We really have got down to the nitty gritty," Edwards told said.

"A good bed to sleep in and a black-out blind that is long enough and goes all the way to edges of the window can make a difference to an athlete.

"There was some discussion about whether athletes should be able to sample the best of British cooking, but athletes don't care about dining experiences.

"They want fuel – carbohydrates, protein, vitamins.

"They want plain, grilled meat or fish which isn't covered in sauce, but where the sauce is optional.

"These are small details but they can make a big difference."


The facilities comprise 11 residential blocks composed of separate apartments, with a standard pattern of two beds per room.

Each apartment has a balcony, and every room has a basic bedside cabinet with drawers, two desk lamps and a wardrobe with a mirror.

The apartments also have a lounge with a sofa.

Residential plots are built around spacious courtyards offering private space for athletes, and all work is due to be completed by June.

"The first Games time apartments offer an early glimpse of the gold medal standard Village we are delivering to help athletes prepare for one of the biggest sporting moments of their lives," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.

"Our Villages team, Athletes' Committee, sponsors and key partners are each playing a crucial role in creating a first-class Village to meet the needs of the best athletes in the world."

Leading Olympic sponsors will be contributing to the overall provision in different ways.


Bedroom furniture is being assembled and delivered by UPS, BT is supplying BT Infinity broadband to all apartments, which will also have televisions and related technology supplied by Panasonic.

Meanwhile, the 8,000 Games volunteers who will service the apartments will be coordinated by Holiday Inn.

Teams will be allowed to bring security advisers with them but they will work in partnership with the official London 2012 security and there will be no independent security operations or patrols in the Athletes' Village.

Asked what might happen if a team turned up with 10 or 15 security advisers, Tony Sainsbury, the Village's general manager, replied: "I have been to 13 Games and I have never seen a team with more security advisers than coaches and athletes.

"We only allow about 50 per cent of team support staff to stay in the Village – the others go to our facility within St Mary's University, ten minutes away."

Nigel Garfitt, the director of Villages and Games services, added: "The Village has been planned and constructed in an integrated way so the transition between the Olympics and the Paralympics will be negligible.

"The Village at the Paralympics will operate in exactly the same way as the Olympics."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2012: London 2012 take over Olympic Village to coincide with six months until start of Games
December 2011: Olympic Village to be called East Village after London 2012 Games
October 2011: Culture Secretary praises progress of Athletes' Village as completed apartments surge past 2,012 properties mark
August 2011: Qataris to take over London 2012 Olympic Village
July 2011: Qataris set to take over Olympic Village after London 2012